Hello Heartache! I've Been Expecting You
by secretfunnelcake
Summary: “I mean, it’s not like I’m in love with him or anything right?” Her blatant lie is thrown out into the air for them both to observe quietly to themselves. “He can date whoever he wants.” JONAS. Denial and heartbreak. Macy&Kevin? Macy&Nick? Joe&Stella.
1. You Make Breaking Hearts Look So Easy

**Hey there, this is secretfunnelcake. :3 This is a JONAS fic. that will be a multichapter, god willing. This first part moves pretty quickly but its really just the foundation to the rest of the story. Please remember that I'm sorta a newbie, so if you dont like, just stop reading. I don't own JONAS or the Anberlin lyric I used for the chapter title that kinda sorta matches the chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated though. Be kind, and enjoy. :)**

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**Macy's living room. 8:27 pm, Wednesday night. **

She's lounging on the couch, shoving popcorn into her mouth hungrily, and her head is tilted oddly to hold the phone in place against her ear. The man on TV is rambling, but so is the voice on the phone. She ignores both. Because really, who wants to listen about global warming again, or the strange way that their friend hits on anything with a skirt again? Not her.

"Macy? Macy are you listening to me?!" The voice sounds grumpy now, and so she sits up straighter and tries to recall what the conversation was veering towards before she had given up listening and had decided to count the number of polka dots on her pajama bottoms.

"Relax Stella. You were talking about how Joe's a manwhore." A long meaningful pause. "Again."

"Macy, focus! We stopped talking about that like five minutes ago. Now we're talking about how I need to tell you something important." Stella's voice sounds partly mad and partly apprehensive.

"Now when you say we…"

"Macy! I'm being serious here." Stella takes a deep breath. "It's about Kevin."

And suddenly time freezes. The man on the TV is suddenly silent as he gestures towards a panting polar bear, Stella isn't saying anything more, and Macy? Well, she's stopped breathing.

"Macy? MACY!" Stella snaps. "It's just that…we were texting last night and well…he sorta asked how he should ask out Casey." Her voice sounds guilty. Macy pretends that her stomach always feels like she just stepped off a cliff and she's free-falling. She tells herself it's the popcorn that's making her eyes start to water. She takes a deep breath to steady herself before speaking.

"Oh. Alright. Yeah no, it's totally cool." She's surprised by how calm her words sound. Maybe broken hearts aren't as critical as they seem?

"Macy…"

"I mean, it's not like I'm in love with him or anything right?" Her blatant lie is thrown out into the air for them both to observe quietly to themselves. "He can date whoever he wants."

"Macy." Stella sounds serious now and sad too, like it's her who's just found that her potential soul mate is going to be taking out her arch rival for a night on the town.

"I was talking to Stevie the other day anyways and he's kinda cute so I was thinking maybe-" And now the tears are running but her voice still sounds normal, and she knows that can't last much longer.

"MACY!"

"What?! Geez Stella…"

Her friend sighs, in an annoyed fashion, but halfway through the sigh turns into one where the pity is so apparent it makes Macy flinch. "You don't have to lie about how bad it hurts Macy. Denial ain't just a-"

"Stella, if you finish that sentence, it'll make this moment such a cliché that I will probably have to beat you with my hockey stick tomorrow." She snaps, because really, she's a heartbroken adolescent girl. Isn't she aloud to be a bit bitchy?

"You feel really shitty right now." Stella's decided to be blunt. "And it might help if you talk about it you know."

Macy sighs, because she knows that Stella's only being nice, and that she's most likely right, and her insides feel like they're going to explode, and not just because she ate way too much popcorn.

"I know." She admits quietly. "But I don't really want to deal with that right now. I'll call you later okay?" She's playing the role of the damsel in distress trying to be brave quite nicely, and Stella must play her part as well or this ridiculous act just wouldn't make any sense at all.

"But Macy-"  
She interrupts her before she can be tricked by logic or unfailing kindness. "Bye Stella." And the conversation ends with a quick click, and then it's only her and the commentator and he's looking anguished and she feels like she's in good company. (He must know what it's like to feel this bad.)

**School hallway. 10:43 am, Thursday morning.**

She's standing by his locker, pretending to listen to him as he rambles and wondering when heaven seized to be a blissful city made up of clouds above the sky and instead became anywhere where _he _was standing in close proximity to her.

He interrupts her train of thought with his signature grin and his reddening face. He explains that he wants to tell her something and she can't help but feel hopeful.

"Yes?" She prays that he can't hear the desperation and excitement behind that one word. He opens his mouth as she mentally prepares her speech for when he admits his undying eternal love for her. She decides that she'll admit she fell for him when she finally let go of her obsession and actually got to know the Lucas' as regular teenage, albeit cute and talented, teenage boys. She appreciated his adorable smile, and quirky habits, and unfailing kindness, and the way he made her feel as a person.

It's at this point that she realizes she's been tuning him out for a couple of minutes now.

"Wait, can you repeat that please? I was totally spacing out." She's looking sheepish, and he's looking amused and now he's talking again but it's not exactly what she wants to hear. He proudly admits that he has a date with Casey Garrison tomorrow and she's glancing out of the corner of her eye as she congratulates him so as to see if it's only her emotional world that's crashing down around her. (It's true, she forgot about Stella's warning. Kevin makes her forgetful and clumsy and spastic, and really he's the one to blame.)

And now he's walking away with a grin and she's whistling a tune to hide the sound of her heart breaking, and she's a little proud because she only lets a few tears escape. (Few is like twenty right? She never really was good at math.)

She reflects on love as she walks to her next class, deciding that it truly is horrible. Love makes you so emotionally vulnerable, because some silly boy just like all the other silly boys walks into your silly life, and he does something stupid like smile at you or hold open the door and you hand him a piece of your soul without him even asking and your emotions turn you into a prisoner. It locks you up and eats at your insides, and something as simple as a proud statement turns into a knife working its way into your broken, shriveled heart. (She tries not to think about how this silly boy is different from the others because he cares, and he shares his pudding even though it's his favorite, and his smile lights up her insides so that she feels like a firefly.) She churns up all her pitiful observations and feeble attempts at flirting in her imaginary blender and imagines feeding it to her cat for dinner. Her childish daydream makes her feel (slightly) better, and she tries to leave every bad feeling in a pile in the hallway as she walks into her class so she can deal with them latter. (It doesn't work. Not even a little bit.)

**School Hallway. 3:20 pm. Thursday afternoon.**

She's jogging lightly down the hallway to practice, repeating one phrase to herself repeatedly, because didn't she read somewhere in a magazine that this was a good therapy? _I do not love Kevin Lucas. _She thinks maybe this voodoo magic is working, because there's Stevie from the basketball team and he waves to her cheerfully and traces her body that's clad in a tight tank top and shorts with his eyes in a way that's becoming eerily familiar, and she smiles and blushes. Because even if he isn't the guy she dreamt about last night, and his hair is straight and not curly, and he's a blond instead of having dark hair, and-…well the point is, she feels appreciative of his attention, and she thinks maybe she'll give him a chance. _I do not love Kevin Lucas._

She rounds the corner slightly out of breath, and that's when she's sees him. And her. Together. And the universe feels just a bit darker, because he's pushing _Casey Garrison's_ bangs out of her eyes, and it's _Casey Garrison_ who's giggling like mad, and it's just plain ole Macy standing over her all by herself. (The _Casey Garrison_ that used to steal her leggos and eat Plato, and then in junior high became a jerk that happened to compete against Macy for the goalie position on the soccer team, and she's thinking to herself, maybe I'm on Punk'd. Because there is no way someone as sweet as Kevin would end up with the Bitch Queen herself.) _I do not love Kevin Jonas._

Then everything seems to be happening in slow motion as he leans forward slightly to kiss her on cheek, but he notices Macy out of the corner of his eye first. And he's grinning and waving and (Oh good god) he's approaching with his hand on the lower part of _Casey Garrison's _back. She looks around wildly for any excuse to avoid this introduction that isn't needed (or wanted, because if she hears the g-friend word, she's going to completely lose it) and she gestures vaguely to the door behind her, holds up a finger to tell them it will only be a minute. She opens the door and steps inside backwards, and the last thing she sees is Kevin's disappointed face and she thinks to herself _I put that expression on his face._ She feels torn between saving herself the embarrassment of bursting into tears in front of the pair outside this door and sucking it up to meet Kevin's (kill me now) crush.

It's then that she realizes two things. She isn't supposed to be caring about him (_I do not love Kevin Lucas.) _She also realizes that Kevin and _Casey Garrison_ must think she is a complete moron, because isn't this a broom closet? She decides it doesn't matter, as long as she doesn't have to deal with an embarrassing scene. (She knows she's selfish. She came to that realization about six months ago, when she first discovered her feelings.) _I do not love Kevin Lucas._

She takes a step back so she can lean against the wall, but instead of colliding with a hard surface, she hits something warm and slightly squishy. She puts her hands against it and runs them up before gasping and tearing her hands away like they've been burned. Because that felt exactly how a face would feel and it turns out she stroked some strangers chest and face, and worst of all, she's in a janitors closet, so if she just molested the creepy janitor she is going to _freak out._

"Macy?" The stranger's voice sounds deep and quiet and very familiar.

"Nick?" She exclaims baffled. "You aren't a creepy janitor!"

There's a moment or two of stunned silence before he chuckles quietly and she's giggling nervously, because what exactly are you supposed to do in this situation?! (Her teen magazine never mentioned anything like this)

"So um…" He sounds confused and she can just imagine him drumming his fingers against his legs nervously. "You don't love Kevin. That's…super?" The last part comes out as a question and she comes to the conclusion that she must have muttered her phrase out loud, that or Nick can read minds.

"Uh…ye-yeah…?"

"Cool. Cool."

It's then that the awkward tension just cracks a bit, and with some hysteria undertones, they both start laughing together.

After a moment of silence after an even bigger moment of laughter, Macy finally asks the important question. "Why are you in a janitor's closet, Nick?"

"Joe is finally telling Stella how he feels, just around the corner." He admits.

"Really?! That's insane; Stella and me were just talking yesterday about he can sorta be a manwhore sometimes." She says excitedly, and it takes her a minute to realize he doesn't seem to share her enthusiasm. "That still doesn't really explain why you're here."

"Because I…didn't want to get in the way." His voice is faint and lost, and she doen't believe him for a minute. "Actually…" He lets out a sigh. "IsortamaybelikeStella."

Se blinks. "Um…I didn't really catch that. Say it slower." And she puts her hands on her hips expectantly.

"I…sorta…maybe...like" Another deep breath. "Stella." It comes out as a quiet whisper but it rings throughout the closet as if he screamed it. And then she feels like she's been hit by a train because "blind sighted" just doesn't do this feeling justice. She opens her mouth to say something, anything, but she can't even think of one word to say. She mentally slaps herself, and it seems to do the trick.

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

"…OH."

"…YEAH."

She shakes her head quickly. "Alright, well…it's okay Nick." She lets out a small sigh. "It hurt seeing them together didn't it?"She remembers Kevin, and _Casey Garrison_, and pain, and loss, and feels sympathy for Nick because she knows _exactly_ how he feels.

"Yeah…" He cleared his throat. "I'm not really sure what to do now."

And she's quiet now, because she feels the same way and this situation is too big and dark for her to comprehend. She takes a deep breath before diving headfirst into leadership. "Okay. Nick, maybe we can help each other out, get each other thru this. Maybe it'll be easier together." She suggests it gently because she knows it sounds crazy. She takes his silence as rejection, and backtracks quickly. "Or not, you know I think I'm just gonna go fall in love with Stevie now so if you need me I'll be-"

He stops her with a hand on her shoulder. "Macy, I'd like that a lot." And then she's smiling with hope, because now maybe she can get through this and she feels helpful and needed and this feeling of comradery swells in her stomach to the size of a watermelon. "Now let's get out of this closet." So she laughs and nods even though he can't see in this light.

And when they step back into daylight and reality together, both ignoring the suspicious stares, she feels lighter than she did all day and she feels empowered and ready to deal with anything. She bids farewell to Nick and heartache and jogs off to practice late.

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I really hope you liked it. I like it, except for the ending, which is rushed. Btw, I'm doing this with no contacts or glasses because I lost them so if there are any mistakes or misplaced words, be forgiving. I'll edit it once I can actually see the world around me. Reviews = Love. :)


	2. Come Together

**_Oh no she didn't! _**Well boys, she certaintly did. Surprised? Not as much as me. I've decided I'm just going to make my chapters shorter so I'll update more. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make at this point. I don't own the Jonas brothers, any Beatles songs, or even this couch I'm sitting on. Read, be forgiving, and then review. Love ya. ;)

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**School Hallway. 10:40 am. Friday morning.**

She's honestly a bit worried about her twenty minute break before biology, because usually she'd be standing with Kevin trying to hypnotize him with her eyes and he'd be oblivious as he told her joke after joke, but now he's over there talking to _Casey Garrison_, and what about her?

Disappointment radiates from her toes and up towards her stomach (because isn't Nick supposed to be helping with her heartbreak, not soul searching or whatever it is deep boys do with their free time?), but before she can worry about the fact that her disappointment originated from her feet, she slams her locker shut, revealing Nick's face. "EEP!"

"Hey Macy." He gives her one of those small grins that she can't help but return.

The thing is, she's sort of become an expert Lucas watcher, and not too many people would be able to see the tension and sadness in Nick's eyes, but she can see it there lurking. There are shadows underneath his eyes and it seems as if he's been chewing on his lip for most of the day. (She pretends not to notice that she observes his lips for the longest.)

"Hi Nick. How…how are you?" She mentally backhands herself for hesitating, because isn't it just a simple greeting?

But that's the thing, _this, _this funny comradery thing they've got going on? Yeah, it's sorta become a big deal in the hours she's had to accept it. Nothing between them is going to be simple any more, and she can't help but feel terrified, because it's a huge possibility that he doesn't feel the same way.

"I feel sort of like my insides have turned to goo." He announces honestly, and she blinks at the raw emotion behind his words. "And not the kind of goo that would delight Kevin. The bad kind of goo." His eyes narrow when he notices her wince at his brother's name. "Sorry. I, I forget."

"No it's fine. This is really unusual." She admits. He nods in agreement.

"How are you holding up?" He asks and her eyes involuntarily water at the tenderness he's showing her. (So it's not just his songs…he's always sweet and perfect and- **snap out of it Macy!)**

"I sort of feel like I could explode any minute and…" She takes a deep breath. "I feel invisible to him. He's become my best friend and now it feels like I don't matter to him anymore."

He puts a comforting hand on her shoulder and she's almost positive she feels one of her lungs collapse in surprise. "Mace, you matter a whole lot to him. It's sorta like um, a cupcake."

"…"

"Okay, you're always there for Kevin, like the chocolate icing. But he thinks he knows what he needs and he's just trying to find that so he goes for the cake part. But eventually he'll realize he didn't know what was there the entire time so he'll go for the chocolate icing." He blushes slightly. "Sorry. I realize that was insane sounding. I didn't get much sleep last night." He pushes his hand through his curly hair nervously.

She lets out a surprised laugh, because honestly, that was helpful in making her feel better. "Thanks Nick." She wrinkles her nose. "Although now I really want a cupcake." She giggles.

Nick gives her a smile, before offering her his arm. "Shall we go to biology before hitting the dessert line at lunch?" She nods in agreement before taking his arm and walking with him towards Mrs. Snark's room.

She's feeling relieved and thrilled and surprised. She doesn't even notice the other two Lucas brothers and Stella watching them walk off with obvious shock on their faces.

**10:51 am. Girls' Bathroom. Friday morning.**

"-unless they are dating, which isn't likely, but he did offer her his arm, and that is super surprising and not something that Nick would do unless he was interested right, because they're not that great of friends-"

"Yes Stella." Joe interrupts her impatiently. "You don't get what's going on. We don't get what's going on. Kevin is over there hiding behind a trashcan because you dragged us into the GIRLS BATHROOM." He ends with a stomp of frustration, his finger pointing angrily towards a hiding Kevin who had a distraught look on his face. "There. I was able to sum up the whole situation in like, five seconds."

This outburst earns him a glare from his new girlfriend, but she's too confused to put any power or emotion in the facial expression. Kevin stands up, glancing around suspiciously at the pink walls.

"I can't believe Macy didn't mention anything about liking Nick." Kevin admits, hurt evident in his words and tone. "She's become like, my best friend."

"She actually IS my best friend and she didn't tell me! I should march over to her and say mph mmm m-" Stella's interrupted from starting a new rant by Joe's hand over her mouth.

"Maybe they've just become better friends." Joe says simply, receiving two dumbfounded looks from his companions.

"Since when do you make sense? Have you switched places with Nick? Wait…that would mean…" She stops, confused. Joe rolls his eyes.

"Aliens switched their brains!" Kevin shrieks terrified.

"And order is restored once again." Stella says with an exaggerated wave of her hand.

"Psh. You thought Nick and me had switched Kevin?" Joe sounds amused. "As if Nick would ever like Stella."

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"You guys are just too different. Now us on the other hand? We were like, made for each other."

"Aw babe…"

"Hey!" Kevin snaps, pushing them apart. "No kissing in front of Kevin. Kissing will make Kevin throw up."

"Well we are in a bathroom, Kev." Joe points out.

"Whatever." Stella dismisses with a wave, as Joe pouts. "Let's just watch the two of them for a couple of days, and then we can meet again and discuss what we've found out. Kevin, you and me will take Macy. Joe, you try talking to Nick." She commands with an air of authority.

Kevin salutes before they start to leave. "Wait for me guys." Kevin bends over, his fingers twisting his shoe laces into a perfect bow as Stella looks on proudly and Joe leans against the wall to wait before letting out a shriek.

"Ew I touched a tampon dispenser!" Joe cries out.

"That's it Stella! You're never allowed to pick our secret meeting spots again!

**11:03 am. Biology room. Friday morning.**

Macy drumms her fingers against her desk impatiently, as she holds a staring contest with the clock. She's excited about eating lunch with Nick. As soon as she had befriended the Lucas boys as actual people and not as the awesome rock stars they had been at every JONAS concert she had ever attended, she had grown jealous of Stella and her close friendship with Joe. She wanted to be able to go to a guy that she considered a friend and not have to hide anything from them. With Kevin it had been more like Joe and Stella, because she had a crush on him. This time around, she wanted a friendship with a Lucas brother, minus the awkwardness and attraction.

She looks to her left and makes eye contact with Nick. He grins at her, nods towards the clock, and mouths the words _can you make it?_ She nods determinedly and ignores the butterflies in her stomach that she gest when he winks at her.

Yup. No attraction at all.

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Sorry it's a bit crappy. I just felt so bad for not updating in so long so I threw some sentences together and viola! Hope it was decent. Please review.


	3. Keep Holding On

_I'm assuming that everyone by this point hates me. Haha. Sorry I'm a terrible reviewer. Reality just keeps getting in the way and forcing me out the door, where I can't update anything, or even attempt to. What can I say? Life's a bitch. Anywho, this little chapter is short and rushed and pretty crappy if I do say so myself. But I felt as if I owed you guys SOMETHING, even if it was this bad. :P Now on to-...WAIT! For Christmas, I got a new phone with internet. So guess who can read fanfiction where ever she wants. ME! Hahaha...Now on to the-_

_WAIT! This...is dedicated to **Poet on the Run** because she puts up with me and is my fanfiction bestie. I love you girl! Now on to the stor-...WAIT!_

_...just kiddin'. ;P_

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**12:10 pm. Cafeteria. Friday afternoon.**

It's during lunch that she decides Stella will be the first one she kills if she ever decides to let go of her slight grip on sanity and tumble down into the chasm of **CRAZY.**

It's not because she's blonde and beautiful and popular and could have any guy in the entire school drooling at her feet at just a snap of her perfectly manicured fingers. (Although, yeah, that's not very helpful.)

It's because all she want to do is enjoy her chocolate cupcake with Nick as they pour out their teen angst buried deep within their chests. (Only one day into their friendship, and already she's this desperate.) And now she's forced to sit between Nick and _Casey Garrison _and good God, where's the justice?! (Or really sharp sporks. At this point, she'd happily accept either.)

She's surrounded by sickingly sweet coupley teen love and all she wants to do is hurl. But instead she just exchanges an annoyed glance with Nick before licking some icing off of her cupcake. (She'll worry about throwing up later.)

"So," Stella's perky voice cuts through the silence and all are eyeing her warily. "How's everyone's day going?"

"MY day has been dandy." Joe stares hard at his younger brother as he answers.

"MY day has been peachy keen." Kevin's attempting to bore a hole into Macy's face with his eyes.

"Um…my day has been…good?" And _Casey Garrison_ just looks plain confused.

Nick raises one eyebrow. "Why are you all staring at us like were in some bad detective movie?"

Kevin points an angry finger at the pair. "Don't hypnotize me gypsy, I know you're ways!"

AND, cue the brief silence as everyone at the table stares at Kevin in confusion.

"…You might not be aware Kevin, but there is this thing most people receive when they're born. The doctors hand it over in a nicely wrapped box, and it's called _sanity_. You must have misplaced yours." Nick's voice is completely monotone and Macy can't help the smirk that fights its way onto her face.

"Macy?" Stella is sounding sugary sweet and innocent and she doesn't buy it. Not for a single moment. "Would you be so kind as to accompany me to the little girls' room?" Her words are razor sharp, and she winces.

"Well I was sorta thinking I'd stay here and-"

"NOW." It's no longer a request, but a command and she's already on her feet due to Stella yanking at her arm, and _how'd she get around the table so fast?_

As she's being dragged away, contemplating screaming to the adult figures nearby that she's being taken to her death, she can see Nick's worried face, concern radiating from him like heat.

It's a nice thought; someone worrying about her for once.

She shoos the self pity away like a buzzing insect, and stumbles as she's pulled into the ladies restroom.

Stella turns to her, all business, arms crossed and face determined. "Listen Macy, and listen well. I might be Joe's best friend, but I love each and every Lucas brother like a…well, like a brother. And so if you tell me right now that you're using one of them to get over your feelings for another, then I'm here to tell you that I am not going to let that happen. Nick is an amazing guy, with a lot of love to give. He falls easily and he falls hard and you're not going to take advantage of that just because Kevin is oblivious to everything and-"

"Whoa Stella whoa." Her head is buzzing and her stomach suddenly feels extremely queasy. "That isn't what's going on here." Even though, y'know, it sorta is in a way.

Stella stops her rant immediately, looking completely baffled. "Really?"

"Yes." She answers. "And frankly, I'm hurt that you'd think I'd lead Nick on romantically just to get over his older brother. Do you really think that low of me?"

She looks Stella dead in the eye and just _wishes _that her friend could feel the heartache she's had to deal with.

She watches Stella's resolve crumble, her serious façade cracking in two as her eyes well up with tears. "Aw Mace." She rushes forward with her arms held wide open and Macy is suddenly engulfed in a warm hug and an avalanche of apologies.

"It's okay Stella; I would've been just as suspicious if I were you."

"So…you and Nick are just becoming…friends now?" And the burning curiosity behind the question doesn't surprise Macy at all. Not one bit.

"I guess so. It was bound to happen eventually right?" She shrugs as she laughs, exaggerating the gesture slightly, a hint of hysteria in her mirth.

Stella eyes her carefully, her Lie Detector face on. Apparently it's low on batteries or Stella's just losing her edge, because before Macy can even count to fifteen, the blonde nods and steers them back to the cafeteria.

She tumbles onto her chair between Nick and _Casey Garrison_, and gives him a reassuring smile. And she's not sure if it's because they've bonded over their crummy love lives or if it's because she was once a JONAS stalker, but it's like she can read the message he's mentally sending her. _You okay?_

She gives him a subtle nod, and tunes in to the conversation to her right, where Kevin is currently complimenting _Casey Garrison's _shade of lip gloss. (Which, by the way, makes her look like a complete tramp. But that's just her opinion.)

"Aww Kevy-poo!"

…And welcome to Hell.

Joe stuffs a spoonful of jello into his mouth before turning towards Macy. "So Macy…any big plan's happening this weekend?"

"Yes." Kevin pipes up, trying his hand at 'casual interest'. (It doesn't work.) "Plans that may include, but are not limited to romantic dates?" He clears his throat awkwardly. "Maybe with someone with say…Oh I don't know, curly hair?"

And with that, Macy receives a sharp kick from a heeled shoe. "OW! Stella!" Macy glares at her supposed best friend. "I think you're aiming more towards your left."

Stella studies the ceiling with interest.

"Kevin, are we still on for that movie tonight?" _Casey Garrison _asks loudly. (It's really quite grating. Again, this is her opinion.)

Macy's soul mate nods enthusiastically. "How about you guys go too, Joe? You and Stella?" And while _Casey Garrison _looks slightly disappointed at the change in plans, she looks towards the other couple questioningly.

"Sure."

"Wait…why are you asking Joe, like he wears the pants in the relationship?"

"Uh, maybe because I do?"

"Oh you did NOT just say that Joseph Lucas!"

"But Stella, you're wearing a skirt today…" Kevin furrows his forehead in confusion.

Its then that Macy decides to tune out the rest of the conversation, because the last thing she wants to hear about is her potential lover's double date night, where a girl other than her is involved.

And y'know, for Hell, it isn't as bad as you think. Sure, every soulful stare that drifts past her and lands on _Casey Garrison _feels somewhat like glass shards are being pushed under her nails, and every time she hears Kevin's new nickname all she wants to do is backhand the bitch, but really, isn't Hell supposed to be all fire and minions and torture or something like that? (She might be mistaken; Sunday school was never really her thing.)

She feels a meltdown coming on and she hopes no one notices.

He notices. Which really isn't a surprise. He's sensitive and those serious brown eyes, they notice a lot. "Are you ok? Because you don't have to tell me if you don't want to…I just want you to know you can." It's at a whisper, quiet enough to where no one else at the table notices, but she still feels self conscience. She ducks her head down and send him a sheepish look.

"Hey Mace, wanna walk to the library with me?" This question is loud enough for the whole table to hear.

It's Nick, of course it's Nick.

It's an opportunity, an escape, a life preserver that's been thrown into this sea of woe and self loathing that she's been treading all through lunch. (And she could cry tears of joy.)

"Sure." She smiles at him, and he offers a small grin in return, before they both stand and walk away.

"Are you ok?"

She nods determinedly before answering. "No problem is so big or so complicated that it can't be run away from!"

She grins at him as he raises an eyebrow. He doesn't quite return it, as he mentally puzzles out her statement.

"…isn't that a Charlie Brown quote?"

"Well…maybe, I dunno." She shrugs one shoulder nonchalantly and fakes a memory lapse.

"It is." He sees right through her once again. "Mace, I don't think it's wise to take quotes from a cartoon and-"

"Hey! The stuff that spews out of that kid's mouth is inspiring."

He eyes her doubtfully before he gives her a smile that lights up the hallway.

"I'm pretty sure you're crazy."

"Well I'm pretty sure you have no soul if you really believe Charlie Brown doesn't help with life."

"No soul? Have you _heard_ the things I sing about?!"

"…"

"Right. Of course you have."

By now her concerns are gone, left behind in the cafeteria stacked neatly next to her chicken salad sandwich. This odd camaraderie that they have going on is baffling to say the least.

The thing is, it shouldn't matter. It really really shouldn't. (It does.)

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**_So there ya go...It's something right? Haha. Btw, this is sorta unbeta'd so any mistakes are to be blamed on my laziness. Also, I do not own JONAS, or Charlie Brown._**


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